Game.



G. A. RICHMOND.

GAME.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2, 1910.

1,080,300 Patented Dec.2, 1913.

2 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

tdibwases 53 342 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAFH C0,. WASHINGTON, D. c.

G. A. RICHMOND.

GAME.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 2, 1910.

1,080,300. q- Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

. 5 lg I .33 36' CARL A. RICHMOND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. December 2, 1910.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Serial No. 595,240.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CARL A. RICHMOND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Games, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The principal objects of my invention are to devise a novel game ,and toprovide a method and apparatus by which it maybe played. 7

Another object of my invention is to devise a game in which an end to beattained by a player or players shall become more easy of attainment astime progresses, thus tempting the player or. players to delay making anefiort toward attaining the end referred to.

Another object of my invention is to devise a game in which, as timeprogresses, an end to be attained shall become more easy of attainmentin one respect, but more difficult of attainment in another respect,thus forcing each player .to choose between confiicting motives inselectinga time to make his efiort. l

Another object of my invention is to provide a game in which-the besttime for a player to act shall be dependent on the time (unknown to him)when his competitoris planning to act.

Theseobjects will be more readily appreciated after considering acertain specific embodiment of my invention, which is described in thefollowing specification; other objects and advantages of a game or gamesaccording to my invention will then also be readily perceived andappreciated.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown one specific embodiment of myinvention, for the purpose of clearly illustrating the generalprinciples involved.

Referring to these drawingsFigure 1 is a perspective view of a deviceembodying my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are top plan views partly brokenaway and showing the mechanism in two different positions. Fig. 4' is asection on the line 4 of Fig. '3, looking in the direction ofthe arrow.Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a gate which forms an element of thedevice, and Fig. 6 is a detail section of a piston which forms anelement of the apparatus.

Described in a general way, the device is I a square game board withtroughs 19 at the sides; round disks or chips 59 and 58 are provided tobe shot or shot at by the players.

The square frame 15 is formed by gluing wooden bars together, and isclosed at the bottom and top by the respective plates of laminated wood16 and 17, the inclosed space being designated 18 in Fig. 4. The framepieces 15 are channeled to form the troughs 19 at the sides of theboard, and these troughs 19 are bounded on the outside by the rim 21that extends all the way around the board. Wooden plates 20 overlie thecorners of the frame 15 between the ends of the trough 19, the junctionlines of the plate 17 and corner plates 20 being designated 22. At theends of the troughs 19 are upwardly projecting walls 23, and within eachtrough 19 is a movable gate 24 shown in Fig. 5. Each gate 24 has ahorizontal base part 25 and two upturned lugs 26 with holes 27 therein,and the main part of the gate 24 has a central hole 28.

An endless chain 29 extends around the board lying in the bottom of eachtrough 19 and passing through the hole 28 and between the lugs 26 ofeach gate 24, and each said gate 24 is secured to the chain 29 by a pinor bolt through a link of the chain and through the holes 27. Pulleys 30are mounted in recesses 31 in the frame 15 at the corners thereof, andnarrow channels 32 are formed to provide a passageway for the chain 29.

At the point 33 close to a gate 24 another 7 chain 34 has one endattached, the other end thereof being attached to the end of the lever36 pivoted at 37 within the space 18. The intermediate part of the chain34 passes about the pulley 35.

The lever 36 has the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and is acted upon bythe tension spring 38 attached to the-lever at 40 and to the frame 15 at39. The lever 36 carries lugs 41' which engage the plates 16 and 17 andguide the lever midway between them. The

to the frame 15. Within this cylinder 47 is a piston, and a piston rod49 connected thereto is pivotally attached at its free end to the lever36 at the point 48. The piston referred to comprises a soft cup shapedleather 5O clamped by a screw between two washers 51, as shown in Fig.6. The end of the cylinder 47 behind the piston is closed except for asmall inlet tube 52, having an adjustable valve with the valve stem 53and lock nut 54. An oval opening 55 in the under plate 16 providesaccess to the valve stem 53 and nut 54 to adjust them.

The top surface of the board is smoothly polished and is markedcentrally with a circle 56 and center spot 57. Seven wooden disks 58serially numbered from 1 to 7 and eight more plain disks 59 are providedfor playing the game, as will presently be explained. The inside face ofthe rim 21 is marked with an X at each of the four symmetrical points60, as shown in Fig. l.

The board is placed on a stand or table and the players, of which theremay be four, sit adjacent to the four corners. The player who sits atthe corner designated 61, seizes the gate 24 at his right and draws ittoward him from the position of Fig. 3 to that of Fig. 2. This pulls allthe other gates in the same direction around the board by reason oftheir common attachment to the chain 29. It also pulls the chain 34 thatpasses around the pulley 35 and thus pulls the lever 36 against thetension of the spring 38. The leather piston 50 pushes toward the nearlyclosed end of the cylinder 47, the air escaping past it because of thebackward direction in which the edge of the leather is turned. Thepiston'reaches the end of the cylinder 47, and the hook on the bar 42engages the stud 44, and the gates 24 reach the ends of their respectivepockets substantially simultaneously. At any time thereafter, the playerat corner 61 can pull with his finger or thumb on the trigger 46, thusreleasing the lever and permitting it to be drawn by the spring 38 fromthe position of Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 3. Such movement will be slowbecause the vacuum that tends to form under the piston 50 can fill onlyslowly through the restricted inlet 52. Thus the result of a pull on thetrigger 46, as just described, is that the gates 24 move simultaneouslyand slowly along the respective pockets from end to end thereof, theinitial and final positions being shown in Figs. 2 and 3, respectively.

The objects of giving the lever 36 the shape shown in the drawings areas follows: (1) A long spring 38 may be used so that the elongation is asmall percentage of the length and thus any stretching beyond theelastic limit is avoided; (2) as the tension of the spring grows weakerby its shortening, the normal thereto from the pivot 37 increases, thusthe movement of the lever is kept approximately uniform and the speed oftravel of the gates is therefore also uniform; (3) a long cylinder 47may be employed.

The following terminology may be employed in describing the game: Theseven disks 58 serially numbered from 1 to 7 are plunks; the eight plaindisks 59 are shooters, each player has two of these; the portion of eachpocket 19 between the X at the end thereof and the gate 24 in thatpocket (wherever said gate may be) is an X-pocket and may be referred toas the X-pocket of the player who sits diagonally opposite from therespective X The remaining portion of the pocket 19 is a blank-pocket;the lines are starting-lines Stated briefly and in a general way, theobject of each player in this game is, while the gates are slowly movingand thus expanding the pockets behind them, to knock the lowest numbereddisk on the board into a pocket behind a particular moving gate, and todo this before another player succeeds in knocking that same disk intoan expanding pocket behind a different moving gate. The player istempted to delay his effort until the gates have opened wide, thepockets behind them thus afiording him an easy mark, but if he waits toolong an opponent may shoot successfully and thus deprive him of hischance. The player must choose between these conflicting considerations.The gates are set when they close the X-pockets A score (of 1 point) ismade for a player when the lowest plunk on the board is driven into theplayers X-pocket. A play begins when the gates are set, and the triggerpulled; it ends when a score is made or all the players have shot theirshooters. hen any plunk goes into a black pocket, or upon a startingline, or into a corner of the board behind a starting line or entirelyoff the board, it is blanked; also when a plunk that is not the loweston the board goes into an X-pocket it is blanked. The plunks are stackedin a column on the center spot in numerical order with 1 at the bottom.Each player holds two shooters and may use both of them during the play.The gates are set by the player sitting nearest the trigger 46; then hesays Ready? and waits long enough to slowly count 2. If no one objectsmeanwhile he then pulls the trigger and the play begins.

The object of each player during each play is to snap one of hisshooters with his fingers, thereby drive it against a plunk,

and thus make a score for himself and end that play. A shooter must bekept wholly behind the players starting line before it is snappedforward. Whenever the lowest plunk on the board becomes blanked, thenext higher plunk remaining on the board instantly succeeds as theobject of play. After each play, the shot shooters are redistributed soeach player shall have two shooters, the scoring plunk (if any) is laidaside to count for the pro er player, and each player takes the blan edplunks (if any) off from his corner space and out of the pocketsadjacent thereto (and any plunks that may have gone off the board andcome to rest nearest him) and replaces them where he pleases within thecircle. If there are several blanked plunks to be replaced at the end ofa play, the lowest is placed first, then the next, and so on. If, duringa play, all the plunks that were on the board when the play began becomeblanked, then the players do not recover their shot shooters, but theplunks are replaced in the circle according to the immediately foregoingrule, the gates are reset, the trigger pulled, and the play is thencontinued. During a play any blanked plunks or shot shooters on aplayers starting line or in the corner behind it may be pushed aside byhim, but not picked up nor moved out across the start ing line.

The end of a game occurs when several scores have been made, and theplayer scoring highest is the victor. If desired, a series of games maybe played until a player wins the series by scoring 13 or 26 as agreedupon at the outset.

When two persons play the game, they sit at diagonally opposite corners;four shooters are discarded; each player scores not only in thediagonally opposite X- pocket, but also in the X-pocket across the boardto his right; in removing blanked plunks to replace them on the board,each player handles others than according to the terms of the foregoingrules, but the modified rules need not be detailed here.

If desired to handicap a playeror players, the gates 24 may bedifferently adjusted along the chain 29 so that the X- pockets shallopen to different widths at the same instant of time.

For the sake of clearness and definiteness in describing the specificembodiment of my invention pictured in the accompanying drawings, I haveapplied the terms troughs to the depressions 19 in their entirety andhave called the portions thereof on either side of the respective gates2& by the term pockets. While this distinction is convenient inconnection with this specification it is not intended to restrict theseterms as employed in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a game device, a board having two pockets, gates therefor, meansto open the gates so as to expose the pockets gradually, and projectilesto enter the pockets.

2. In a game device, a board having a pocket, a gate therefor, means toopen the gate gradually, serially numbered projectiles, and otherprojectiles distinguished from the numbered ones.

4:. In a game device, a horizontal board, a.

target in connection therewith, means to gradually vary theaccessibility of the target, and a projectile adapted to slide acres theboard and engage the target.

5. I11 a game device, a horizontal board, a target in connectiontherewith, means to gradually vary the accessibilityof the target, andserially numbered projectiles adapted to slide across the board andengage the target.

6. In a game device, a horizontal board, a target in connectiontherewith, means to gradually vary the accessibility of the target,serially numbered projectiles adapted to slide across the board andengage the target, and other projectiles distinguished therefrom.

7. In a game device, a board having a trough extending along one sidethereof, a gate in said trough, and means to move the gate slowly fromone end of the trough to the other end.

8. In a. game device, a board having an approximate rectangular shape,troughs at the sides thereof, gates in the troughs, and means togradually move the gates simultaneously.

9. In a game device, a board having an approximate rectangular shape,troughs at the sides thereof, gates in the troughs, a chain extendingaround the board and fastened to said gates, and means to move saidchain lengthwise and thereby simultaneously move the gates in thetroughs.

10. In a game device, a board having an approximately rectangular shape,troughs at the sides thereof, gates in the troughs, pulleys at thecorners of the board, a chain eX- tending around said pulleys and alongsaid troughs, the gates being fastened to this chain, and means to movesaid chain lengthwise and thereby simultaneously move the gates.

11. In a game device, a board having pockets at the sides, gates forsaid pockets, and mechanism under the board to grad ually move saidgates.

12. In a game device, a board having pockets at the sides, gates forsaid pockets, a spring adapted to move said gates to open the pockets,and means to delay the action of the spring.

13. In a game device, a board having pockets at the sides, gates forsaid pockets, a

spring adapted to move said gates to open the pockets, means to delaythe action of the spring, and a catch to lock the gates in closedposition.

14. In a game device, aboard comprising a rectangular frame, top andbottom plates attached to the frame, troughs at the sides, gates in saidtroughs, and mechanism in the space inclosedby the frame and plates tomove the gates.

15.' In a game device, a board comprising a rectangular frame, top andbottom plates attached to the frame, troughs at the sides, gates in saidtroughs, a chain extending around the frame and attached to said gates,a branch chain extending into the space inclosed by the frame andplates, and mechanism in said space attached to said branch chain tomove the chain and thereby move the gates.

16. In a game device, a board, a variable target in connectiontherewith, achain connected to vary said target, a lever attached tosaid chain, a spring acting on said lever, and a dash-pot connectedtothe lever to retard the action of the spring.

17. In a game device, a board with pockets at the sides, gates for saidpockets, a chain extending around the board and attached to said gates,a branch chain extending toward the center of the board beneath the topsurface thereof, and mechanism beneath said surface attached to saidbranch chain to gradually pull the same and thereby move the gates.

18. In a game device, a board with pockets at the sides, gates for saidpockets, a chain extending around the board and attached to said gates,a branch chain extending toward the center of the board beneath the topsurface thereof, a spring under said top surface connected to pull onthe chain, and a retarder to oppose the spring.

19. In a game device, a board with pockets at the sides, gates for saidpockets, a chain extending around the board and attached to said gates,a branch chain extending toward the center of the board beneath the topsurface thereof, a. spring under said top surface connected to pull onthe chain, and a dash-pot to oppose the spring.

20. In a game device, a board with pockets at the sides, gates for saidpockets, a chain extending around the board and attached to said gates,a branch chain extending toward the center of the board beneath the tosurface thereof, a lever beneath said surface, the end of the branchchain being attached thereto, and a spring and a clashpot acting on saidlever.

21. In a game device, a board with pockets at the sides, gates for saidpockets, a chain extending around the board and attached to said gates,a branch chain extending toward the center of the board beneath the topsurface thereof, a doubly bent lever beneath said surface, the end ofthe branch chain being attached to the end thereof, and a spring and adash-pot connected at the two bends of the lever.

22. In a game device, a target, means to gradually vary theaccessibility of the target, a projectile, and supporting means for theprojectile adapted to sustain it in movement from its initial positionto said target.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

CARL A. RICHMOND. Vitnesses FLORENCE A. FLORELL, ANNIE C. COURTENAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

